Unsufferable Time
by kiariz
Summary: Welcome to the world of Saurs, where the priestess Tomoyo grants souls wishes and help them solve their sins with the help of her cursed crow. But as they help souls to crossover, they are looking for a way to move on as well.
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: I don't own any of the Tsubasa Chronicle character. I hope you readers enjoy the story and pls R/R

Every five hundred years or so, a meteor engulfed in flames collides with earth bringing about the gateway to a world called Saurs. Saurs is a world completely opposite to earth in so many ways that it cannot be completely described. But to put it bluntly, it is similar to a marketplace on Earth, though not exactly. The streets are always buzzing with wandering souls, trying to find a place where they belong. There are also all kinds of demons, angels, and spirits who gather there, whether to guide, condemn, or eat the souls. Each has their own stands to advertise their service, through different methods of bribery. The demons thrive on the souls' desires while the angels use purification. A few fights rage from time to time amongst shops, in order to attract customers, since a good fight always draws a crowd. In all, it's a colorful world, mixed with light, darkness, and everything in between.

However, the most famous thing in this world is the shrine at the core of the marketplace located underneath the roots of the apple tree. Three rivers surround it, called Heaven, Hell, and Paradise. Around them are orchards of pomegranates and spikenard. Within lies the renowned miko, with her dark blue robes covering her pale complexion, awaiting her guests. Everyone was celebrating their arrival, and more so than usual since it was the miko's birthday. Creatures gathered at the Garden of Nede, presenting their offerings.

"My lady, out of all these presents gathered here today, mine would bring you the utmost of pleasure if you wish so." The dark-clothed man bowed on his knees in greeting, gently grabbing her hand and kissing it, sending a rush of gasps and whispers through her garden.

"If so, bring it forth, and I will acknowledge its worth."

He smiles under his cloth, happy to have her consent. Out of his cloth came forth a locked black cage, and inside it, a crow. A highly vivid crow, who madly cawed, fighting the cage bars, wanting to be free.

"What's the meaning of this?" she asked, her eyes showing composure yet with a hint of bewilderment.

"It is as you see, my lady. He who is dark was tainted by the sunlight. His appearance is that of a crow, because of his dark heart. Once well-loved by humans, now he is a servant to us. Souls hate him, for it is because of him that they are here. Yet for himself, he cannot be judged, since he's mixed. Not a complete human, soul, or crow. His isolation was his punishment. But it is for his best to stay here, than to be a servant to those disdainful beings."

The miko smiled and accepted the key. For it did bring her pleasure to know how deeply he cared for the crow.

"Before I go, my lady, he can turn human by arousal or he can turn back by the snap of your finger. With that I leave him in your care" He bowed and left, and his was her last present.

The crow continued on his rampage against the cage, biting his bound leg, trying to loosen it. Out of sympathy, the miko opened the cage. The crow calmly eyed her, walked towards the cage door, and closed it.

She laughed. "I see. I must have hurt your pride. Then please resume."

He did. All his attempts were futile; he only brought amusement to her. Seeing her smiling face, he turned around perk up his feathers, trying to conceal his actions.

"You are just adorable." He flinched at her words, cawing like crazy.

"Lady Tomoyo, Your offerings have been organized." Her assistant, Luna, announced as she sat near her.

"Is he still trying to escape?" Luna asked, astonished at his persistence.

"He is. He stubbornly refused my assistance, when offered." Tomoyo said, smiling all the same.

The sound of chimed bells filled the shrine. Her assistant quickly stood to her position to attend their guests. Luna later came back with a black soul beside her. When it walked inside Tomoyo's chamber, it took its formal form of a scrawny old man with white hair and white beard.

"What is it that you wish to repent?" All her amusement gone, Tomoyo was transformed into a different person, a more refined and wise miko.

"I do not wish for forgiveness, though I do wish to alter the past, no matter the consequences." The spirit gave her a weak smile and started telling her his story, how he came to be in Saurs.

"In the year of 1990, I became prime minister of Japan, which was my long-time goal since I first became a politician. Although such happiness didn't last, I started declining in my duty as a husband, which let to my wife's adultery. I was thankful that the matter was kept hush-hush from the public or I would've been ruined. I even bought her lover's silence, but the fool became ambitious and wanted more, so I banished him. After nine months, my wife gave birth to her lover's child, a baby girl, whom we named Alice. Her labor took such a toll on her body that she died moments afterwards. Alice grew to be the spitting image of her mother, with her topaz eyes, silver hair, and skin as white as snow. An overwhelming beauty, I became obsessed to the point where it became insanity. Knowing that I would soon lose her to another man, I wanted to make her suffer; that way she wouldn't leave me." Tomoyo sat, listening to his introduction to the story.

1995

Two man where having a small conversation in one of the run down warehouse at the bay.

" hey, Haru, are you sure her old man is going to pay?" one of the kidnappers asked skeptically, while brushing his black haired backwards .

" Of course he will, Ren. This is his precious daughter, after all." Haru snickered, looking at the contacts in Alice's phone. It truly surprised Haru to see her unfazed, which meant this wasn't her first time being kidnapped.

Ring! Ring! His cell phone started to vibrate inside his office.

"I'm busy, Alice. Call another …"

"We have your daughter. If you want her back, how about paying us ten million dollars." There was a moment of silence, and then hysterical laughter came from the other line.

"Do whatever you want, you can even beat her. But I cross the line at rape. Also make her starve to death; if you do I'll pay you triple the amount. Return her to me in three weeks." He hung up, leaving the kidnapper dumbfounded.

"Hey Setsu, call that sadist of Minamoto. Tell him we're in need of his specialty." Haru glanced at Alice, who was roped against a chair with her mouth taped. He couldn't understand why she retains her face high while holding back her tears. It was probably because she believed it would be like the other times, where she wouldn't be harmed, and they were simply getting the ransom. Thinking of such an idea made Haru, feel sympathetic for a brief moment. Until, Minamoto arrived and they presume with her father's orders.

She was sixteen when she was kidnapped. They returned her 3 weeks later, like we discussed, and I gave them the ten million. Her body was pale and scrawny, even suffering from hypothermia, not to mention the bruises that covered her body. I made sure that during her entire school life she remained isolated by causing incidents to those who became close to her. Her beauty was also part of her misfortune; she would always come home with bruises. Every boyfriend she managed to have, I managed to make them disappear. Every single one of them was con-artist or wanted an easy fortune. She never suspected a thing though. I shunned her countless times, but she continued to love me.

Seeing her smile after all the pain I caused her made me go into hysteria. Every day after seeing her, I would inflict wounds upon myself, to have a sense of self-righteousness. But when she turned twenty-one, he came along. With his blue eyes, black hair and olive-colored skin, he instantly swept her off her feet. He reminded me of myself when I was young, but why not? After all, he was my son. The product of a one-night stand before I met my wife. I couldn't bring myself to destroy him, but when his mother discovered their relationship, she told him the truth. He cancelled all his involvement with Alice, but she always managed to find him. One day without warning, he retold his mother's words to her. Full of grief and her heart shattered, she believed to have executed a great incest. On her twenty-second birthday, she committed suicide by jumping out of the 3rd floor window, unaware of the child she was carrying. I could have prevented her suicide, if I had told her she wasn't my daughter. However, my dark desires darkened my rightful judgment. Her death didn't bring me pain; on the contrary it brought me great happiness, to know that her suffering and mine's had ended.

"I will grant your wish." Covered by a beam of light, they transcended time. They watched Alice and her servants from up above running towards the third floor. At the edge of the window, time stopped.

Tomoyo materialized his body, he was no longer the scranny old man she saw at her shrine. He was now well groomed, with his white hair combed in a right side cowlick, shaved beard and a nice black suit.

"After three minutes it wears off."

He thanked her. He ran upstairs, grabbed Alice's petrified form and whispered the truth to her. Three minutes passed and he once again became a soul. With this opportunity, he possessed his past self's body, transferring his memories. Then he left with Tomoyo to Saurs.

A year passed, and Alice with her family was visiting his grave as he watched them from Tomoyo's shrine. The relieved of seeing Alice well and happy with his son made him shed a few tears. He looked at Tomoyo in determination awaiting his punishment without regrets.

"Now, you're free to leave Saurs, to be reincarnated." His soul turned from black to a tanned color. The sound of bells chimed once again and his soul vanished.

"Your reincarnation will live in darkness, and without a parent's warmth. This will be your payment as well as your punishment." she whispered, watching his reincarnation in her waters of time. The crow watched her sadden face and stopped his attempts of escape for now.

Author's Note: Please read and review. Also I would like to thank The Fairy Princess thanks for all your help.


	2. Chapter 2

Disclaimer: I don't own any of the characters from Tsubasa chronicles. Hope you enjoy this chapter.

A few days had passed, and Tomoyo was smelling something awful coming from her quarters. She started sniffing all around her room from top to bottom, until she came to the source of such a repugnant smell. The crow was lying sleeping in his cage, unaware of her presence or the mischievous stare he was receiving.

"So you're the one who has been intoxicating my quarters. You know what this calls for…. B-a-t-h."

The crow peeked at her drowsily, slowly catching up to her previous accusations. He then stared at her, terrified, and in his vision, he saw Tomoyo as the devil incarnate, and her eyes glinted underneath the shadows of her brow. Tomoyo's hands moved closer and closer, trying to grab him, and seeing this he desperately tried to escape but he couldn't find a way out. Before he could fight against her grasp, she had quickly grabbed him, threw him in a bag her assistant gave her, and before he knew it, he was already submerged under water.

"Shall we begin?"

The crow began to caw hysterically while madly splashing the water all over the place. He then remembered he had wings, and with those wings, he could use them to flee from Tomoyo. He began to flap his wings, passing by Tomoyo while giving her a victorious smirk. The crow quickly noticed that after such exertion of flapping his wings he wasn't getting any further than a foot. Unfortunately for him, she knew he would try to escape, so she chained him. When he saw the chain, he gave her his most hateful glare and plummeted back into the water.

"You gave up quite soon. However, I must apologize for chaining you while you were distracted. Yet is partly your fault for being too predictable, I do advise you to revise your strategy, or you'll continue to be defeated."

Her remarked angered him, but he decided not to show his anger. Otherwise, it would bring her satisfaction.

"I see. Your attempt of controlling your anger is most admirable, yet you have a long journey ahead of you."

This made him snap, but before he could have one of his tantrums, she caressed one of his wings gently and began to wash him. She gently washed the other wing, until she reached his chest, with the tips of her fingertips she began to massage it until….

(PUFF)

In front of her laid a well-built, black hair and red-eyed man.

"Oh, so this is what he meant by arousal. Aren't you a perverted little crow?" Her faced looked as though she discovered something amazing.

"You're calling me a pervert while you're the one touching places you shouldn't touch? And why the hell am I the one overreacting while you're being so damn calm in this situation?" he yelled at her in bewilderment, after he noticed the mistake of standing up while he was perfectly covered by the bubbles in the tub.

"I purify souls and have to see them in the form they died in. Do believe me when I say I have seen plenty of men who died naked."

He laid there shocked and debated whether to be insulted, angered, or to plainly let her be right. He decided upon the latter, although he felt a bit offended.

"I see, either way. Could you pass me a towel; I would not dare to lower your standards with a vivid body like mine. After all, you prefer dead naked men's bodies."

At this reply, Tomoyo couldn't help but laugh.

"Humph," he whispered to himself, or he thought he did.

"Let me introduce myself. I'm the priestess of this world called Saurs, and I go by the name of Tomoyo. Although the residents either call me Tomoyo-sama or _miko _so I'll let you choose whichever name you want to address me by. If I may ask, may I know your name?" Tomoyo asked him in her most polite way. She glanced at him in anticipation for his reply.

"It's Kurogane," he merely told her. Kurogane then noticed that with his current form, he surely would be stronger than her. He then began to plot an effective way of attacking her. While he conjured a way of overpowering her, Tomoyo remained observing him to see any changes in his behavior. She caught up to his plan in mere seconds.

"Did I not say your way was predictable? Attack me, and I will have no choice but to snap my fingers and turn you back into a crow. Now, I know you do not wish to spend more time than you have to inside this cage."

In the end he had to subdue to her demands for now. Once again he was defeated. His new form brought her a new idea, and the smile on her face told him he wasn't going to be pleased by it.

Moments later, he was wearing a butler outfit and was accompanying her to the red-light of Saurs. It was as though they had time-traveled back to 18th century France, where the age of the cabarets and the marvelous Can Can dance was at its peak. Nevertheless, out of all the cabarets, there was the marvelous Rouge, which was the most sophisticated cabaret in the district with its fine room and top-notch furniture. Of course, their dancers and services were the best when it came to providing their customer with entertainment. Nonetheless, every type of person, whether for pleasure, scandal, gossip, or because of a bleeding heart, gathered at The Rouge.

At the entrance, there stood a small bar at the right-hand corner where a woman greeted them. "Oh lady Tomoyo, you've finally arrived. Oh my, what a handsome fellow you brought today. Is he here for some entertainment? You know, before he moves on."

Tomoyo smiled at how horrid Kurogane's face appeared. "No, Rina, he's here just to accompany me. If I left him at home he might misbehave."

Tomoyo glanced at Kurogane, expecting to see him irked, but to her astonishment, he seemed to ignore her. Hence, he was too busy getting rid of the red-haired woman.

"Would you back off? You're being too utterly familiar."

Rina squealed at the sound of Kurogane's hoarse voice, and to his annoyance she clutched him even tighter.

"Ain't he a shy fellow? But he is sure a fine specimen, Lady Tomoyo," the curvaceous women smiled. Taking his discomfort into account she moved away. "Well, I better tell ya something. Hon, you're new meat and these ladies here are like a pack of hyenas when it comes to raw meat. Get what I'm saying, hon? So if you want to remain with your clothes intact, I suggest we chain ya up." She grabbed some handcuffs from underneath a cabin and cuffed them together. "There ya go, now the ladies would know you're hers. Although it might stop their urges, they might still jump on you. Hohoho."

He couldn't help but flinch at her warning. For him this place might be his grave.

"Why do I always end up caged or restrained by something metallic? It's really pissing me off."

They both entered the cabaret. Kurogane's eyes couldn't believe the scene displayed in front of him. The women on the stage continued to show more and more skin as the song continued playing. Plus, every time a man was drunk enough, the girls would drag them to a room, or if he had enough strength, the man would carry them there. Continuously out of the corner of his eyes he would glimpse something erotic happen, which made him aroused to the point he turned back into a crow.

"Well, this was unexpected. I guess if you get too aroused you turned back into a crow. How perverted," Tomoyo teased him, noticing the cuff was only on her wrist due to his transformation.

She glanced around the place, looking for someone, although she noticed it all still appeared the same, its walls colored with red and black lines. In the middle of the room, the small stage was still standing with its dancers, and next to the stage there were two staircases to the second floor, where the girls' rooms were located.

"(Puff)Stop….(puff)caw caw…(puff)that." As he turned back and forth from a human to a crow, he couldn't manage to finish a whole sentence. He finally calmed down and retained his human form, only to be swarmed by some of the girls.

"Ladies, please have some decency. What would our dear Tomoyo-sama say?" A blonde beauty walked down the stairs, wearing a fine red full-body corset and black fishnets with a black robe. Of course, the lingerie was astonishing, but more astonishing was her hourglass shape. The men at the cabaret became silent in her presence and the girls quickly got off of Kurogane.

"Oh, not in the least. I like the liveliness of this place, Rosetta. Besides, he seems to enjoy it." She glanced at Kurogane in a playful way to see him pout. Rosetta smiled, giving Tomoyo kisses as her greeting. "Please follow me. I would prefer to speak to you privately."

Tomoyo followed Rosetta to her chambers, leaving crow Kurogane behind. After he puffed back to human form, the girls began chasing him, as their obstacle was gone. For once he was thankful for his crow form, where he could finally rest easy, since apparently the girls wouldn't dare enter his new hiding place. Hearing some sounds coming closer he quickly hid behind some books, afraid that it might be the girls.

Inside Rosetta's meeting room, Tomoyo sat on a chair across from Rosetta's desk. There Rosetta asked of Tomoyo a request. Kurogane heard and for the first time saw a surprised expression on Tomoyo's face.

"I will abide by your wish, Rosetta." Tomoyo stood up from where she was seated, and left the cabaret after saying her goodbyes. Kurogane followed behind her after turning to a human.

"You know, by accepting such a request you must pay the consequences, right? Something like changing fate without giving something in return is risky."

"Perhaps, but even so, your words are plainly make-believe from those who were afraid to change their own fate, and they would continue to be so if not proven contradictory. By taking such risks, I can discover the true results, and then perhaps we may change many souls' fates."

He turned around, avoiding her stare, afraid of revealing his flustered face. For a second there, she was so earnest about her desire to help the souls, he felt like supporting her. But it was just for a moment, that's what he kept repeating in his mind.

"Do whatever you want. Besides, it's not like it concerns me whatever happens to you or the cabaret women."

Kurogane kept on walking ahead until it was too late. He had just walked into her opening portal. All he saw throughout the jump was flashbacks of different centuries until they reached their destination.

"Let me introduce you to 18th century France."

From what he has managed to gather through observation, France of the 18th century was especially crowded at night. The streets were mostly filled with horse carriages whose windows had been covered, and some of the men disembarking the vehicles would cover themselves up, as though not to be recognized by the public. Others would just simply boast at the entrance of the cabaret as though announcing not only his intentions to have a drink but other services as well. This, of course, grabbed passer-bys' attention and soon became a subject of gossip.

The two of them entered a cabaret called the Moulin Rouge, and at the mere sight of its life-sized red windmill, he couldn't help but think it was quite an interesting first impression. Although the inside was an overwhelming sight compared to the Rouge cabaret Rosetta ran. If he ever thought the Rouge was an indecent place at first glance, he was wrong. Nonetheless, the place still had a gallant feeling about it, with its mirrored walls covering most of the surrounding area of the stage and its refined glassed round globes of gas lamps illuminating the place. Although he found the mirrored walls a bit awkward, when he looked closely, he managed to see some men staring at the mirrored walls in order to see more of the women's exposed bodies than what could be seen without them. The women, of course, danced energetically yet provocatively on the large stage while lifting their skirts and revealing their legs and undergarments.

All of the sudden the crowd of men became wilder in their cheers, as the large paper fan closed to reveal Rosetta, her overwhelming dance hypnotizing all the men in the bar to submission. But although all the men stared at her, only one remained faced away, only focusing on his drawing. She, of course, only looked at him throughout her dance, which some men began to notice. Due to this, the men became aggressive towards him.

"He is the one we're looking for, isn't he?" Kurogane glanced at Tomoyo, who nodded in response.

"The one Rosetta wanted me to save from dying."

Author's Note: Pls read and review.


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